伝道者の書 2
1 我わが心に言けらく 來れ我試みに汝をよろこばせんとす 汝逸樂をきはめよと 嗚呼是もまた空なりき
I said in my heart: “I will go forth and overflow with delights, and I will enjoy good things.” And I saw that this, too, is emptiness.
2 我笑を論ふ是は狂なり 快樂を論ふ是何の爲ところあらんやと
Laughter, I considered an error. And to rejoicing, I said: “Why are you being deceived, to no purpose?”
3 我心に智慧を懐きて居つつ酒をもて肉身を肥さんと試みたり 又世の人は天が下において生涯如何なる事をなさば善らんかを知んために我は愚なる事を行ふことをせり
I decided in my heart to withdraw my flesh from wine, so that I might bring my mind to wisdom, and turn away from foolishness, until I see what is useful for the sons of men, and what they ought to do under the sun, during the number of the days of their life.
4 我は大なる事業をなせり 我はわが爲に家を建て葡萄園を設け
I magnified my works. I built houses for myself, and I planted vineyards.
5 園をつくり囿をつくり 又菓のなる諸の樹を其處に植ゑ
I made gardens and orchards. And I planted them with trees of every kind.
6 また水の塘池をつくりて樹木の生茂れる林に其より水を灌がしめたり
And I dug out fishponds of water, so that I might irrigate the forest of growing trees.
7 我は僕婢を買得たり また家の子あり 我はまた凡て我より前にヱルサレムにをりし者よりも衆多の牛羊を有り
I obtained men and women servants, and I had a great family, as well as herds of cattle and great flocks of sheep, beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem.
8 我は金銀を積み 王等と國々の財寶を積あげたり また歌詠之男女を得 世の人の樂なる妻妾を多くえたり
I amassed for myself silver and gold, and the wealth of kings and governors. I chose men and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, bowls and pitchers for the purpose of pouring wine.
9 斯我は大なる者となり 我より前にヱルサレムにをりし諸の人よりも大になりぬ 吾智慧もまたわが身を離れざりき
And I surpassed in opulence all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also persevered with me.
10 凡そわが目の好む者は我これを禁ぜす 凡そわが心の悦ぶ者は我これを禁ぜざりき 即ち我はわが諸の勞苦によりて快樂を得たり 是は我が諸の勞苦によりて得たるところの分なり
And all that my eyes desired, I did not refuse them. Neither did I prohibit my heart from enjoying every pleasure, and from amusing itself in the things that I had prepared. And I regarded this as my share, as if I were making use of my own labors.
11 我わが手にて爲たる諸の事業および我が勞して事を爲たる勞苦を顧みるに 皆空にして風を捕ふるが如くなりき 日の下には益となる者あらざるなり
But when I turned myself toward all the works that my hands had made, and to the labors in which I had perspired to no purpose, I saw emptiness and affliction of the soul in all things, and that nothing is permanent under the sun.
12 我また身を轉らして智慧と狂妄と愚癡とを觀たり 抑王に嗣ぐところの人は如何なる事を爲うるや その旣になせしところの事に過ざるべし
I continued on, so as to contemplate wisdom, as well as error and foolishness. “What is man,” I said, “that he would be able to follow his Maker, the King?”
13 光明の黑暗にまさるがごとく智慧は愚癡に勝るなり 我これを暁れり
And I saw that wisdom surpasses foolishness, so much so that they differ as much as light from darkness.
14 智者の目はその頭にあり愚者は黑暗に歩む 然ど我しる其みな遇ふところの事は同一なり
The eyes of a wise man are in his head. A foolish man walks in darkness. Yet I learned that one would pass away like the other.
15 我心に謂けらく 愚者の遇ふところの事に我もまた遇ふべければ 我なんぞ智慧のまさる所あらんや 我また心に謂り是も亦空なるのみと
And I said in my heart: “If the death of both the foolish and myself will be one, how does it benefit me, if I have given myself more thoroughly to the work of wisdom?” And as I was speaking within my own mind, I perceived that this, too, is emptiness.
16 夫智者も愚者と均しく永く世に記念らるることなし 來らん世にいたれば皆早く旣に忘らるるなり 嗚呼智者の愚者とおなじく死るは是如何なる事ぞや
For there will not be a remembrance in perpetuity of the wise, nor of the foolish. And the future times will cover everything together, with oblivion. The learned die in a manner similar to the unlearned.
17 是に於て我世にながらふることを厭へり 凡そ日の下に爲ところの事は我に惡く見ればなり 即ち皆空にして風を捕ふるがごとし
And, because of this, my life wearied me, since I saw that everything under the sun is evil, and everything is empty and an affliction of the spirit.
18 我は日の下にわが勞して諸の動作をなしたるを恨む其は我の後を嗣ぐ人にこれを遺さざるを得ざればなり
Again, I detested all my efforts, by which I had earnestly labored under the sun, to be taken up by an heir after me,
19 其人の智愚は誰かこれを知らん然るにその人は日の下に我が勞して爲し智慧をこめて爲たる諸の工作を管理るにいたらん是また空なり
though I know not whether he will be wise or foolish. And yet he will have power over my labors, in which I have toiled and been anxious. And is there anything else so empty?
20 我身をめぐらし日の下にわが勞して爲たる諸の動作のために望を失へり
Therefore, I ceased, and my heart renounced further laboring under the sun.
21 今茲に人あり 智慧と知識と才能をもて勞して事をなさんに終には之がために勞せざる人に一切を遺してその所有となさしめざるを得ざるなり 是また空にして大に惡し
For when someone labors in wisdom, and doctrine, and prudence, he leaves behind what he has obtained to one who is idle. So this, too, is emptiness and a great burden.
22 夫人はその日の下に勞して爲ところの諸の動作とその心勞によりて何の得ところ有るや
For how can a man benefit from all his labor and affliction of spirit, by which he has been tormented under the sun?
23 その世にある日には常に憂患あり その勞苦は苦し その心は夜の間も安んずることあらず 是また空なり
All his days have been filled with sorrows and hardships; neither does he rest his mind, even in the night. And is this not emptiness?
24 人の食飮をなしその勞苦によりて心を樂しましむるは幸福なる事にあらず 是もまた神の手より出るなり 我これを見る
Is it not better to eat and drink, and to show his soul the good things of his labors? And this is from the hand of God.
25 誰かその食ふところその歓樂を極むるところに於て我にまさる者あらん
So who will feast and overflow with delights as much as I have?
26 神はその心に適ふ人には智慧と知識と喜樂を賜ふ 然れども罪を犯す人には勞苦を賜ひて斂めかつ積ことを爲さしむ 是は其を神の心に適ふ人に與へたまはんためなり 是もまた空にして風を捕ふるがごとし
God has given, to the man who is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and rejoicing. But to the sinner, he has given affliction and needless worrying, so as to add, and to gather, and to deliver, to him who has pleased God. But this, too, is emptiness and a hollow worrying of the mind.
